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John (Jack) joined the Association on 5th December 1959. Since then, Jack effectively served 29 years in an official capacity for the Association.
The Victorian branch has benefited from Jack's enthusiasm over almost four decades. In April 1963 Jack was elected President and held this position until April 1965.
Following the success of the first model railway exhibition organized by Mal Baker in March 1969, Jack took to the reins and ran three successful exhibitions at the Camberwell Civic Centre in 1970, 1971, and 1972. To this day, Jack is one of the three cashiers who operate the ticket box at the Moomba exhibition. As if this were not enough to satisfy the exhibition urge, Jack and his wife Dorothy make the trip to Sydney every year and assist at the NSW labor day exhibition as well.
Jack served the Association as Federal Treasurer from September 1965 to October 1968. While treasurer he took over the duties of Journal publisher from Cedric Wolfe in January 1968 and held this position until December 1973.
After his interlude with Federal appointments, Jack returned to branch commitments and was elected vice president in April 1974, then served as president from April 1975 until April 1977 when he continued as a committeeman, filling in as branch auctioneer in 1977, 1979, and 1980 and also working on the printing team. In June 1984, Jack was again elected president and stayed on the committee as vice president from June 1985 until June 1989.
After his term on the committee, Jack continued as property manager and when attendance at working bees was diminishing during 1988, Jack was instrumental in the formation of the retirees group including others that had free time on a Tuesday. This group took over the general maintenance of the clubrooms and the grounds and became known as the 'Daylighters'; a duty that they still perform on Mondays under different leadership.
Jack is a competent hands-on tradesman and the branch has benefited from his construction of storage and display cabinets at the clubrooms and used at the exhibitions. He was a major participant in the construction of the "Great Wall of Glen Iris" that prevents Wills Street collapsing onto the outdoor garden railway.
Jack retired from official branch duties in 1994, but in the preceding thirty one years our Association benefited to a major degree from Jack's enthusiasm and willingness to give freely of his time and abilities to further the aims and growth of our Association. Jack was granted Honorary Life membership in 1965 and also received a Meritorious award in 1970.
Jack has demonstrated that advancement of the Association is one of the aims of productive membership. He never looks for recognition and over the years the branch has relied on him to get things done and has never been let down.
